It’s time to start a thread on my 66 Valiant. First, some background.
I retired in 2015 and finally had time to get a fun classic car. I saw a photo of a 66 Valiant with grey lower paint and dark blue upper. Of course, I can’t find the photo now but I’ll keep looking. However, that car looked oh-so-cool and is what sold me on the year and model.
66 Valiants aren’t exactly growing on trees. I started looking and finally found one locally that was in workable shape for being 60 years old. It was pretty solid, but it was well used (however not abused). Everything on the car that could be leaking, was leaking. The carb was so bad that after a deal was struck for the car, I pulled the carb and took it home to rebuild that night and bring back the next day to drive it home. However, carb back in place and it made it home for a few quick upgrades.
I rebuilt the brakes, and replaced all hoses and fluids, new tires and rims, upgraded speakers, and a new radiator. All the tune-up stuff was replaced and tuned up. Then I just drove it for the next 8 years. I did take it to the track a few times, where it proved to be a mighty 19 second car. Pretty typical for a slant with a three-on-the-tree.
This car is a for-real survivor but a lot of the factory stuff is tired. It has 126K on the clock and I’m pretty sure those were mostly local miles over many years. It is the ultimate Gramma’s Grocery Getter. Seriously, if I were inclined to take up bank robbing, this would be my getaway car, as it’s pretty much invisible.
Cop: Did you see the bank robbers?
Witness: Yes, they ran out of the bank, got in their car, and drove away.
Cop: What kind and color of car?
Witness: Um, it was some kind of color and it looked like, well, a car with doors and stuff.
Here are some photos of what it looked like when I got it home.
So now, after many years, it’s time to start this project. I have a huge pile of goodies to go in this car, but this will be a slow process. I’ve made the mistake before of having a car torn down hard and it takes FOREVER to get it done. This one will be done a piece at a time. Cars that drive while you work on them are way, way better.
This one is going to get a complete upgrade for everything that you can’t see from the outside. I will not be doing paint or interior. When it's done it will still look like Gramma's Grocery Getter. However, underneath it will be seriously improved. The journey begins shortly.
I retired in 2015 and finally had time to get a fun classic car. I saw a photo of a 66 Valiant with grey lower paint and dark blue upper. Of course, I can’t find the photo now but I’ll keep looking. However, that car looked oh-so-cool and is what sold me on the year and model.
66 Valiants aren’t exactly growing on trees. I started looking and finally found one locally that was in workable shape for being 60 years old. It was pretty solid, but it was well used (however not abused). Everything on the car that could be leaking, was leaking. The carb was so bad that after a deal was struck for the car, I pulled the carb and took it home to rebuild that night and bring back the next day to drive it home. However, carb back in place and it made it home for a few quick upgrades.
I rebuilt the brakes, and replaced all hoses and fluids, new tires and rims, upgraded speakers, and a new radiator. All the tune-up stuff was replaced and tuned up. Then I just drove it for the next 8 years. I did take it to the track a few times, where it proved to be a mighty 19 second car. Pretty typical for a slant with a three-on-the-tree.
This car is a for-real survivor but a lot of the factory stuff is tired. It has 126K on the clock and I’m pretty sure those were mostly local miles over many years. It is the ultimate Gramma’s Grocery Getter. Seriously, if I were inclined to take up bank robbing, this would be my getaway car, as it’s pretty much invisible.
Cop: Did you see the bank robbers?
Witness: Yes, they ran out of the bank, got in their car, and drove away.
Cop: What kind and color of car?
Witness: Um, it was some kind of color and it looked like, well, a car with doors and stuff.
Here are some photos of what it looked like when I got it home.
So now, after many years, it’s time to start this project. I have a huge pile of goodies to go in this car, but this will be a slow process. I’ve made the mistake before of having a car torn down hard and it takes FOREVER to get it done. This one will be done a piece at a time. Cars that drive while you work on them are way, way better.
This one is going to get a complete upgrade for everything that you can’t see from the outside. I will not be doing paint or interior. When it's done it will still look like Gramma's Grocery Getter. However, underneath it will be seriously improved. The journey begins shortly.
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Oh boy, oh boy. The ultimate storyteller returns!! Can't wait for the next episode...
